Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-07160

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many miles of dual carriageway were opened on the A9 trunk road between Perth and Inverness in (a) May 1979 to May 1997, (b) May 1997 to May 1999, (c) May 1999 to May 2007 and (d) since May 2007.

The available records of published Road Orders details our understanding of when the following sections of A9 dual carriageways were opened:

(a) May 1979 to May 1997

Location	Approximate Length (m)	Date
Between Dalnarcardoch and Dalnaspidal	6.2	Circa 1979 / 1981
Moy south of Inverness to Bogbain	5.7	April 1979
Bogbain to Inshes	1	October 1979
Northwards from Ballinluig	4	May 1981 and April 1983
Charlestown to Tore Roundabout	3.7	October 1981
Faskally	0.3	May 1981
Longman to Charlestown (Kessock Br)	2.3	July 1982
Killiecrankie	1.2	August 1986
Crubenmore south of Etteridge	0.9	December 1979

(b) May 1997 to May 1999

nil

(d) since May 2007.


Crubenmore north of Etteridge	2	September 2011
Kincraig to Dalraddy	4.6	September 2017
Luncarty to Pass of Birnam	5.9	August 2021

In addition, procurement of a further 6 miles of dual carriageway between Tomatin and Moy is in progress at present.

This Scottish Government is the only administration to have committed to dualling the A9, bringing benefits to business and local communities throughout Scotland.

No previous administration started preparatory work to enable full dualling to be undertaken.

Question reference: S6O-00799

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it expects to complete the programme of dualling the remaining sections of the A9 between Perth and Inverness.

Question reference: S6O-00711

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting new entrants into agriculture.

Question reference: S6O-00662

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 January 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported criticisms expressed by the legal sector concerning the proposals outlined in the legal services regulation reform consultation.

Question reference: S6O-00565

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting times for people calling Police Scotland’s non-emergency 101 phone line.

Question reference: S6W-04401

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many individual users of the COVID-19 vaccine passport scheme, who have used either the App or the paper form, there have been, broken down by age group.

Question reference: S6O-00508

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what compensation will be made available to farmers who have been impacted by beaver activities.

Question reference: S6W-04202

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have (a) successfully downloaded Covid Vaccination Status QR codes via the NHS Scotland Covid Status App, (b) been issued paper Covid Vaccination Certificates, (c) downloaded PDF Covid Vaccination Certificates and (d) obtained proof of COVID-19 vaccination status through NHS Scotland in total.

Public Heath Scotland publish a weekly COVID-19 statistical report every Wednesday which includes this information.

As at 15 November 2021 the:

COVID Status app had been downloaded over 1.5 million; and separately
vaccination status letter has been requested in paper copies 478,014 times; and
downloaded in PDF format over 1.2 million times.

A single user may choose to download the App or PDF on multiple devices, and may request a replacement of paper copies so it is not currently possible to identify the total number of people who have obtained proof overall.

Question reference: S6W-04270

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it will improve the teaching of STEM subjects in secondary schools.

The Scottish Government's STEM Education and Training Strategy has set out a range of actions designed to support STEM teaching and learning in Scotland’s secondary schools.

Measures include supporting the STEM enhanced professional learning grants programme operated by Education Scotland. Round 3, operating in financial year 2021-22, will provide professional learning to an estimated 13,400 practitioners in 759 establishments, with funding to the secondary sector benefitting 4,280 practitioners in 233 establishments.

Education Scotland issues annual STEM practitioner surveys to gather evidence about practitioner priorities and provision to ensure grant funding, as well as regional and national support, provides high-quality professional learning that meets the needs of practitioners.

Education Scotland’s regional improvement teams work closely at local authority, regional and national levels to support STEM professional learning and teacher networks to help them improve practice. The Improving Gender Balance and Equalities Team also work within the regions to improve STEM teaching approaches to ensure all learners benefit, irrespective of gender or protected characteristic.

Through the pandemic Education Scotland has worked with partners to collate and develop over 9,000 STEM resources to support remote learning. These are now available nationally to teachers, learners and parents through the National e-Learning Offer website.

Scottish Government is supporting an education bursary initiative designed to offer up to 150 STEM bursaries to encourage more people to train as secondary school teachers in STEM subjects. We are also supporting the Scottish Schools Education Research Centre (SSERC) to provide teacher professional learning opportunities for secondary science, technology and digital skills development. Courses are open to student teachers, probationers, classroom teachers as well as school leaders.

We continue to invest in work to develop the capacity of teachers and school leaders to deliver inspiring STEM courses; including a Young STEM Leader awards programme that aims to inspire and reward young people to take up STEM subjects and encourage their peers to do so.

Question reference: S6W-04272

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 15 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure an adequate supply of STEM teachers for secondary schools, to address any concerns about current shortages.

The Scottish Government is offering 150 bursaries of £20,000 for career changers to do teacher training in STEM subjects where the demand for teachers is at its greatest.

A new phase of our teacher recruitment campaign is underway. The recruitment campaign aims to encourage students and career changers to apply for a teacher education course, with a particular focus on STEM subjects.

In addition, since the start of the pandemic we have provided £240m of additional investment, over two financial years (2020-21 and 2021-22), specifically for the recruitment of more education staff.